The other person was completely covered up, with only their eyes showing.
But she quickly lowered her head, her eyes hidden under her baseball cap.
Chen Mian didn't follow them in. After seeing Qin Lishuang and that person go in, she looked away and asked Liang Shi, "Do you two have a grudge?"
“I suppose so,” Liang Shi said.
"That woman is no decent person," Chen Mian scoffed. "Stay away from her."
"I understand." Liang Shi looked away. "Don't you have experience to share? Hurry up, you're going to be late."
Chen Mian glanced at her watch. "Ten minutes."
Liang Shi: "?"
A moment later, Liang Shi realized that when Chen Mian said ten minutes, she meant that she had only been inside for ten minutes.
Because she had turned down the lunch invitation from the organizers, she went in and gave a very perfunctory experience sharing session, ending after only a few words.
Everyone knows her temperament, so no one forced her to comply.
After Chen Mian came out, she subconsciously went to sit in the back row, only to find that Liang Wanwan was sitting there.
She then went around to the front and sat in the passenger seat.
Liang Shi asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything's fine," Chen Mian said. "Isn't it your treat?"
Liang Shi: "..."
"I'm taking you to meet someone," Liang Shi said. "Do you mind?"
Chen Mian was taken aback. "Gu Xingyue?"
Liang Shi: "...No."
Liang Shi started the car, his expression indifferent. "She won't see me right now. I'll take you to pick up my wife for dinner."
Chen Mian relaxed, leaned against the car window with one hand, closed her eyes and pretended to doze off. "Whatever."
//
Liang Shiding's lunch spot was near Xu Qingzhu's company, which happened to coincide with her lunch break.
Xu Qingzhu and Chen Mian were meeting for the first time, and neither of them said much.
After Liang Shi introduced them to each other, they quieted down.
When they took their seats, Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu sat in one row, while Chen Mian and Liang Wanwan naturally sat in another.
Liang Wanwan sat inside, without taking off her coat.
It was a bit hot inside the shop, and Chen Mian noticed it first, asking casually, "Aren't you hot?"
"Huh?" Liang Wanwan glanced at Chen Mian, but quickly looked away. "No... a little..."
Her voice trembled as she spoke, and she almost bit her tongue. She lowered her eyes, bit her lower lip, and cursed herself for being stupid in her heart.
I quickly took off my coat, but my palms were still damp.
Liang Wanwan glanced at Chen Mian out of the corner of her eye.
Liang Shi teased her, "Wanwan, you don't need to be so nervous sitting down to eat with your idol, do you?"
"Huh?" Liang Wanwan stammered again, "But...it's alright..."
I don't know how to say it; I don't have the right words to express it.
Xu Qingzhu took everything in, served Liang Wanwan some food, and comforted her, "Don't listen to your sister's nonsense, let's eat."
Liang Wanwan picked up her chopsticks, lowering her head as low as it could go, and Xu Qingzhu could see through her hair that her ears were as red as if they were on fire.
Chen Mian didn't react much.
She has always been unconventional and never felt awkward eating with anyone; she simply ate her food calmly.
Until a plate of stir-fried vegetables was brought to the table.
To make the dish look nicer, plain white lilies are placed around the edge of the plate as a garnish.
Chen Mian stared at the lilies for a moment, lost in thought. Liang Shi was about to pick up her chopsticks when Chen Mian grabbed her wrist. "Wait."
Liang Shi: "?"
Chen Mian took out her phone, snapped a picture of the dish, and then calmly said, "Continue."
Liang Shi: "..."
Liang Shi took a bite of food before realizing what was happening, "Is it because Qi Jiao likes lilies?"
Chen Mian paused in her chopsticks and nodded slightly.
Suddenly, the meal didn't taste right.
Chen Mian smiled, a warmth appearing in her world-weary eyes: "The plating is quite nice."
"Hmm," Liang Shi replied perfunctorily.
Everyone had their own thoughts while eating this meal.
Upon hearing the name Qi Jiao, Liang Wanwan lowered her head, her hand holding the chopsticks trembling slightly.
Xu Qingzhu observed them discreetly.
Liang Shi was one of the more carefree eaters.
After dinner, Chen Mian said she had to leave, and Liang Wanwan also had to go back to school.
Upon verification, it turned out that both of them were going to the Communication University of China.
So Chen Mian hailed a taxi and, after getting in, called out, "Sister, let's go together."
Liang Wanwan stood there, somewhat at a loss, and looked at Liang Shi.
Liang Shi patted her on the shoulder: "Go back and study hard, okay? If you don't have money, just tell me."
Liang Wanwan bit her lip and groaned.
Her hot palms and rapidly beating heart made her somewhat reluctant to ride in the same car as Chen Mian.
Especially, we should sit together in the back row.
But she really wanted to.
She eventually got into the car, but Chen Mian sat on the other side, quite a distance away from her.
It seems like I don't know them.
As the taxi drove away, Xu Qingzhu watched Liang Shi's retreating figure, while Liang Shi watched the car drive off into the distance.
A moment later, Liang Shi looked away and turned around, unexpectedly meeting Xu Qingzhu's gaze.
"What's wrong?" Liang Shi asked. "Why are you looking at me?"
"You look beautiful." Xu Qingzhu suddenly smiled, her eyes softening.
Liang Shi: "..."
She stepped forward and took Xu Qingzhu's hand, "When are we going up?"
"Either is fine," Xu Qingzhu said. "I don't have a meeting this afternoon."
Liang Shi asked, "Isn't there anything else to take care of?"
"None of them are very important," Xu Qingzhu said, "so we can stall for a while."
"Then it still needs to be dealt with." Liang Shi squeezed her fingers. "Otherwise, we'll have to take it home to cook again tonight."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingzhu glanced sideways and raised an eyebrow, "Teacher Liang."
Liang Shi: "Hmm?"
“You have a lot of opinions about me going back to work?” Xu Qingzhu said.
The winter wind was strong, and the two walked very close together, so Xu Qingzhu's voice seemed to be right next to their ears.
Liang Shi immediately denied it: "How could that be? I'm just worried that you won't sleep well at night."
"If you stop making a fuss for a while, you'll be able to sleep well." Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi: "..."
Liang Shi awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, knowing he was in the wrong, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You're just too likable."
"But I won't cause any trouble tonight," Liang Shi assured him. "I'll let you get a good night's sleep."
Xu Qingzhu raised an eyebrow: "Really?"
Liang Shi: "More genuine than pearls."
The two arrived at the entrance of the milk tea shop, where there was a buy-two-get-one-free promotion, so Xu Qingzhu bought two milk teas.
When it came time to pay the bill, Liang Shi was still not asked to come.
After buying the milk tea, the two went to wait in the car and sat in the back row without hesitation.
Xu Qingzhu nestled in Liang Shi's arms, holding her milk tea, and asked, "When are you joining the crew?"
"It's still unclear," Liang Shi said. "Probably another week?"
"All right."
Liang Shi's hand was resting on her shoulder, then lifted slightly to land on her face, giving it a gentle pinch. "What? Don't you want to see me anymore?"
"No," Xu Qingzhu said, "It's just... I have to go on a business trip."
"When?" Liang Shi asked.
“If you’re going to film in a week, then I…” Xu Qingzhu coughed softly, “I’ll also go in a week.”
Liang Shi was taken aback: "Huh?"
Xu Qingzhu snuggled into her arms, her head brushing against her softness. "I don't want to leave."
Her voice was so soft that it made Liang Shi's heart flutter.
Liang Shi pinched her cheek again, but this time he couldn't bear to let go, his fingertips stroking her cheek. "Xu Qingzhu, how can you be so..."